Underwater wellhead installations



Oct. 17, 1967 c. R. NEILON UNDERWATER WELLHEAD INSTALLATIONS I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1965 FIGJ.

INVENTOR. Claude R. Neilon BY 2 ATTORNEYS Oct. 17, 1967 CR. NEILON UNDERWATER WELLHEAD INSTALLATIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 9, 1965 .II II II I I I INVENTOR F i G 3 Claude R. Neilon BY M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,347,312 UNDERWATER WELLHEAD INSTALLATIONS Claude R. Neilon, Houston, Tex., assignor to Armco Steel Corporation, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 438,258 4 Claims. (Cl. 166--.6)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for completing a well for production including an upright connector body, an upper wellhead body, and a flow line connected between the connector body and the wellhead body and which form a preassembled unit that can be lowered onto and fixed to the well casing. A Christmas tree lowered onto the upper wellhead body and connected thereto with a releasable connector includes a conduit system which connects the production string of the well to the flow line from the connector body. A production flow line for conducting well fluids away from the well is connected to the connector body with a remotely operable connector. The upright connector body permits connecting the production flow line merely by lowering the remotely operable connector onto the connector body. The arrangement permits connecting and disconnecting the production flow line and the Christmas tree from the wellhead independently of each other without disturbing the production string and other conduits at the wellhead. A guide system can be used to guide the several well completion devices to the wellhead.

This invention relates to underwater wellhead installa- .tions and, more particularly, to underwater well equipment which enables workmen, operating from a floating vessel or the like which is remote from the location of the wellhead, to simply and easily install and replace production flow lines, hydraulic control lines, and the like.

Though various forms of underwater wellhead apparatus have recently been proposed for offshore and the like well installations, no truely satisfactory way has heretofore been found for remotely installing and replacing the flow lines necessary for production and the hydraulic or other fluid pressure lines required for controlling wellhead devices. The fact that the wellhead may be installed at depths ranging up to hundreds or even thousands of feet requires that equipment he provided which can be installed and operated without diver assistance. Further, the relatively great depths contemplated for olishore installations, and the unpredictable and often extreme forces which may act on the equipment after installation, requires that all of the components, including those provided for such purposes as connecting fiow lines and hydraulic control lines, be assembled and supported with great rigidity.

.A general object of this invention is to provide under water wellhead equipment which enables the operators to accomplish satisfactory installation of production flow lines and the like from a point remote from the wellhead installation.

Another object is to devise underwater well equipment allow production flow lines and the like to be installed,

retrieved and replaced without disturbing the wellhead assembly.

The invention embodies an upright flow line connector body rigidly mounted at a point spaced laterally from the wellhead proper, the connector body having an upright through passage to which is connected one end of ice an interconnecting flow conduit which extends to the wellhead and is connected to a flow conduit of the Christmas tree. Cooperating with the connector body is a remotely operated coupling having a passage to which the flow line proper is connected, the connector body and coupling coacting in such fashion that, when the coupling is landed on the connector body, the passage in the coupling and the passage in the connector body are automatically placed in communication and the joint sealed against loss of well fluid or entry of water. The interconnecting flow conduit is supported rigidly at one end by the connector body and at the other end by an upper body member of the wellhead, the connector body being rigidly mounted on the upper wellhead body so that the combination of wellhead body, connector body and interconnecting flow conduit can be lowered into place as a unitary assembly. The coupling employed is remotely operable both for connection and release, so that the coupling and attached flow line or lines can be recovered when desired.

In order that the manner in which the foregoing and other objects are attained in accordance with the invention can be understood in detail, one advantageous embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an underwater well installation embodying the invention; i FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the installation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 3-3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a flow line connect-or body employed in the installation of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5, FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first to FIG. 1 thereof, the wellhead installation here illustrated includes a lower, unitary body member 1 seated on a stub body 2 and clamped thereto, as by a conventional ring clamp 3. Body 2 is supported by a landing plate 4 which in turn is supported by the upper end of the outer members 7 and diagonals 8, the diagonals being suitably attached to the casing 5, which projects upwardly through the center of the base. At each corner of the base 6, there is provided a rigidly mounted, upwardly projecting guide tube 9. Each tube 9 is rigidly secured at its lower end to .the base and terminates, at its upper end, in an upwardly and outwardly flaring mouth portion 10. Each guide tube is provided with a vertically extending slot 11 which eX- tends for substantially the full length of the tube and opens upwardly through the wall of the corresponding mouth 10. Each slot 11 lies in a vertical plane which includes the central vertical axis of the wellhead assembly.

Seated directly on body member 1, and clamped thereto by a connector indicated generally at 12, is a production body 13. Though the connector 12 can take various forms, it is advantageously of the type described and claimed in copending application Serial Number 264,195, filed March 11, 1963 by Claude R. Neilon et' a1. At its upper end, body 13 is provided with an outwardly projecting transverse annular flange 14 having a pair of di ametrically opposed vertical bores accommodating rigid cylindrical conduit members 15 and 16.

Body 13 defines an upright cylindrical through passage 17. The upper end of body 13 is closed by a closure body indicated generally at 18 and having an upper, outwardly projecting, transverse annular flange 19. Flange 19 seats directly on the upper face of flange '14 of body 13, suitably cooperating sealing surfaces being provided to accommodate a metal sealing ring 21 to establish a fluidtight seal between closure body 18 and production body 13. Flange 19 is provided with two diametrically opposed vertical bores each accommodating a different one of the connector tubes 21, 22. Between the main body portion of closure body 18 and the wall of passage 17 there is provided a locator sleeve 23, the sleeve being rigidly attached to body 13 and having upwardly directed guide edges 24 which lead to a locator notch 25. Body 18 is provided with a radially projecting locator lug 26 adapted to follow the guide surface 24 into notch 25, as the closure body is inserted downwardly into body 13. Thus, guide edges 14, notch 25 and pin 26 coact to orient the closure body 18 in such fashion that connector tubes 21 and 22 are brought into alignment respectively with conduit members and 16. Each tube 21, 22 is dimensioned at its lower end to receive the upper end of the corresponding conduit member 15, 16, and suitable annular sealing rings are carried by the tubes 21, 22 to establish a fluid-tight seal between tube 21 and conduit member 15, and between tube 22 and conduit member 16.

Closure body 18 is locked to body -13 by a hydraulically actuated connector or coupling indicated generally at 27 and preferably constructed in accordance with the aforementioned copending application Serial Number 264,195. Coupling 27 comprises a generally cylindrical member 28 rigidly secured to flange 19, as by studs 29, member 28 depending from flange 19 and having an internal diameter such as to slidably embrace the cylindrical outer surface presented by flange 14 of body member 13. An outwardly opening transverse annular groove 30 is provided in the outer surface of flange 14 to cooperate with a circularly extending series of arcuate locking segments 31 carried by member 28 of the coupling. As more fully described in the aforementioned copending application Serial Number 264,195, segments 31 are biased radially outwardly by suitable springs (not shown) and are therefore initially inactive when the closure body 18 is landed. Segments 31 are actuated radially inwardly, to engage in groove 30 and lock body 18 to body 13, by means of an outer cylindrical ring 32. Member 28 and ring 32 have cooperating shoulders which define an upper cylinder space 33 and a lower cylinder space 34. Suitable hydraulic conduits and ports (not shown) are provided for selective admission of fluid under pressure to the spaces 33 and 34. Admission of fluid under pressure to the upper space 33 drives ring 32 upwardly on member 28. Conversely, admission of pressure fluid to space 34 drives ring 32 downwardly relative to member 28. On its inner surface, ring 32 is provided with a cam groove 35 into which the outer portions of segments 31 are biased when ring 32 occupies its uppermost position. Actuation of ring 32 downwardly causes the cam surfaces presented by groove 35 to come into engagement with segments 31 and force the segments radially inwardly, into engagement in groove 30. When ring 32 is fully actuated in a downward direction, the ring is effective to block the segments in their innermost positions as illustrated in FIG. 5.

In this embodiment, production body 18 is provided with two vertically extending bores 36 and 37 and suitable means are provided at the lower end of body 18 for attachment of two strings of tubing communicating with a different one of the bores 36 and 37. The tubing strings can be suspended directly from closure body 18 or can be suspended by a suitable tubing hanger (not shown) supported in the lower end portion of body 13, as described in copending application Serial Number 302,993, filed August 19, 1963, by William W. Word, Ir.

Body '18 supports the Christmas tree of the installation, including master valve 38, multiple port flow line fitting 4 39 and valved flow conduits 40 and 41, conduits 40 and 41 communicating respectively with bores 36 and 37.

The lower end of conduit 40 is secured directly to tube 21, as by welding, so as to be in communication with conduit member 15. Similarly, the lower end of conduit 41 is secured directly to tube 22 so as to communicate with conduit member 16.

An upright flow line connector body 42, FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, is rigidly mounted on production body 13 by supporting frame 43 which projects laterally from body 13. Frame 43 includes two spaced horizontally extending side plates 44 each welded at one end to body 13 and at the other end to body 42. Side plates 44 are interconnected by cross braces, as at 45, the entire supporting frame being designed to assure rigid cantilever support of the flow connector body.

As seen in FIG. 3, body 42 is provided with two parallel vertical through passages 46 and 47. A first interconnecting flow conduit 48 has one end inserted in the lower end portion of bore 46, the conduit being rigidly attached to body 42, as by welding at 49. The other end of conduit 48 is attached, as by welding, to the lower end of conduit member 15. A second interconnecting flow conduit 50 communicates between bore 47 and conduit member '16. Thus, one end of conduit 50 is inserted in the lower end of bore 47 and the conduit is secured to body 42 as by welding at 51. The other end of conduit 50 is welded to the lower end of conduit 16. Supporting frame 43 is of such length that body 42 is supported above one side of the guide means base 6 and is, therefore, at a substantial distance from the vertical central axis of the wellhead. Further, since the frame 43 is secured to an upper wellhead body, body 42 is spaced a substantial distance above base 6. Accordingly, the interconnecting flow conduits 48 and 50 can extend first downwardly from body 42, then in an upwardly curving arc toward body 13, and finally upwardly to their points of attachment to members 15 and 16, the arcs of curvature of the two interconnecting flow conduits being sufficiently great as to allow surfacing tools to be pumped therethrough. For purposes of simplicity of illustration, conduit members 15 and 16 have been illustrated as spaced apart in a plane containing the axes of bodies 13 and 42. In practice, conduit members 15 and 16 can advantageously be spaced apart in a plane at right angles to the direction in which frame 43 extends, so that neither of the interconnecting flow conduits 48 and 50 need curve around body 13 in order to reach the appropriate one of conduit members '15 and 16.

Cooperating with body 42 is a remotely operable flow line connector or coupling indicated generally at 52. Coupling 52 includes an upper body 53 having a flat circular lower face 54 adapted to directly engage the flat upper end face of body 42. Member 53 is provided with two vertical through passages 55 and 56 which are threaded at their upper end portions to accommodate the threaded ends of flow lines 57 and 58, respectively. Two connector sleeves 59 and 60 are inserted respectively in passages 55 and 56, being secured to body 53, as by the threaded engagement shown in FIG. 3.

A cylindrical member 61 is secured to body 53, as by studs 62, and depends therefrom. In an area spaced below body 53, member 61 is provided with a transverse annular groove 63 which accommodates a circular series of arcuate locking segments 64. Member 61 also has a transverse annular outwardly opening groove 65, the wall portion between grooves 63 and 65 being provided with a series of openings each of which accommodates the shank of a cam follower 66 secured to one of the segments. Each assembly of segment 64 and follower 66 is biased outwardly by a helical compression spring 67 to bring the segments 64 into normal positions fully within groove 63, when the coupling is unactuated. Springs 67 act between the enlarged head of the corresponding follower 66 and the wall which separates grooves 63 and 65.

Near its upper end, body 42 is provided with an outwardly opening transverse annular groove 68. Groove 68 is spaced below the upper end face of body 42 by a distance such that, when member 53 is seated on body 42, the locking segments 64 carried by member 61 are aligned with groove 68.

Member 61 is provided with upper and lower portions of smaller outer diameter, as indicated at 69 and 70, respectively, and with an intermediate portion of somewhat larger diameter, indicated at 71. Surrounding member 61 is an actuator sleeve 72 of generally cylindrical configuration. Sleeve 72 includes an upper inwardly directed flange 73 which slidably engages upper portion 69 of member 61. Similarly, at its lower end, sleeve 72 has an inwardly directed flange 74 which slidably embraces lower portion 70 of member 61. The main body portion of sleeve 72 slidably embraces the intermediate portion 71 of body 61 and is provided with an inwardly opening, transverse annular cam groove 75. Groove 75 includes an upwardly and inwardly tapering frusto-conical cam surface 76 disposed to engage the cam followers 66 as sleeve 72 is actuated downwardly. The outer surfaces presented by member 61 coact with the inner surfaces presented by sleeve 72 to define an upper cylindrical space 77 and a lower cylindrical space 78. Suitable ports and conduiting (not shown) are provided for selective admission of pressure fluid to the spaces 77 and 7 8 in order that the sleeve 72 can be driven upwardly or downwardly, at will.

Below groove 65, the inner surface of member 61 is enlarged to accommodate a locator sleeve 79 provided with downwardly facing guide edges 80 which lead to a downwardly opening vertical locator notch 81. A radially extending locator pin 82 is fixedly attached to body 42. The relative locations of notch 81 and pin 82 are such that, when the coupling 52 is lowered over body 42, and pin 82 is guided into slot 81 by edges 80, connector tubes 59 and 60 are rotatively positioned for alignment respectively withbores 46 and 47. Tubes 59 and 60 project below the lower face 54 of member 53 so that, as the. coupling 52 is landed, the lower end portions of tubes 59 and 64 are telescopically engaged within the upper end portions of bores 46 and 47. Once coupling 52 has been properly landed, pressure fluid is admitted to the cylindrical space 78 to drive sleeve 72 downwardly, to the position seen in FIG. 3, with the result that cam surface 76 forces segments 64 into locking engagement with groove 68, securing coupling 52 rigidly to body 42. Connector tubes 59 and 60 are provided with O-rings or other suitable sealing elements to establish fluid-tight seals between the connector elements and members 42 and 53. Accordingly, once thejcoupling has been landed and clamped to body 42, the flow lines 57 and 58 are placed in communication with Christmas tree conduits 40 and 41 via the interconnecting flow conduits 48 and 50, respectively.

It will be understood that the various elements of the wellhead assembly are provided with conventional guide arms (not shown) which coact with the usual guide cables or the like extending from the lower portion of each guide tube 9 upwardly to the vessel or like support for the operators. In addition, coupling 52 is provided with its own guide arm assembly, indicated generally at 83, to assure that the coupling Will he landed in precise position on body 42. Assembly 83 includes a main arm 84 extending beside coupling 52, with the coupling located at the center of the main arm but spaced laterally therefrom. Main arm 84 is rigidly connected to the upper portion of member 53 by struts 85 as seen in FIG. 2. At each end, main arm 84'is provided with an offset secondary arm 86, arms 86 projecting away from arm 84 at angles such that, when the coupling 52 is disposed above the center of one side of base 6, and arm 84 is spaced from the coupling toward the center of the base, the secondary arms 86 will project respectively toward the centers of the corresponding guide tubes 9. At its tip,

each secondary arm 86 carries a guide element 87 which is apertured axially to accommodate the guide cable or the like and which is dimensioned to be snugly received within one of the tubes 9.

While, for simplicity of illustration, the conduiting necessary to provide hydraulic pressure for operating couplings 12 and 27 as well as the various hydraulically operated elements of a Christmas tree have been omitted, it will be understood that the connector body 42 and coupling 52 can be equipped with as many conduits as are required, whether these be production flow lines alone or both production flow lines and hydraulic pressure lines.

Though one particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention has been chosen for illustrative purposes it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications can be made therein, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In an underwater well installation, the combination of a rigid wellhead structure including an upper upright body member;

a guide means base secured to said wellhead structure below said upper body member and projecting laterally from said wellhead structure, said guide means base being equipped with upright guide members spaced outwardly from said upper body member;

a Christmas tree assembly supported on and secured to said upper body member, said Christmas tree assembly including a production flow conduit communicating with a production string suspended in the well and having a downwardly extending end portion eX- terior to said upper body member and fixedly supported on said wellhead structure;

an upright connector body having a through passage;

a rigid lateral supporting structure having one end fixed to said upper body member, said Connector body being rigidly secured to the other end of said supporting structure;

an interconnecting flow conduit having one end secured to said connectorbody in communication with said through passage, the, other end of said interconnecting flow conduit being connected to said downwardly extending end portion of said production flow conduit and fixedly supported by said wellhead structure, the combination of said upper body member, said supporting structure, said connector body, and said interconnecting flow line constituting a rigid assembly capable of being installed as a unit at the underwater location of said wellhead structure;

a flow line connector structure having passage means including an, exterior end and a lower end, said connector structure being seated on said connector body with said lower end of said passage means communicating with said through passage, said connector body and said connector structure having cooperating remotely operated releasable lock means securing said connector structure to said connector body; and

a flow line secured to said connector structure in communication with said exterior end of said passage means, the combination of said connector structure and said flow line being recoverable as a unit when said lock means has been released.

2. In underwater equipment for completing a well for production, the combination of a rigid wellhead structure comprising at least one upright wellhead body member adapted to be stably mounted beneath the surface of a body of water and capable of suspending pipe in the well;

a Christmas tree assembly including means for locking said Christmas tree assembly to said wellhead structure, and production flow conduit means for communicating with a production string suspended in the well, said flow conduit means having an end exterior to said body member;

an upright connector body having a through passage in the form of a vertical bore;

means rigidly interconnecting said wellhead body member and said connector body with said connector body spaced laterally from said wellhead body member;

an interconnecting flow conduit having one end socured to the lower end of said connector body in communication with said through passage, the other end of said interconnecting flow conduit being secured to said wellhead body member for connection to said end of said Christmas tree flow conduit means when the Christmas tree is installed, said intercon necting flow conduit extending downwardly from said connector body, thence laterally toward said wellhead structure, and thence upwardly beside said wellhead body member; and

flow line coupling means adapted to be lowered into engagement with the upper end portion of said connector body and having passage means disposed to communicate with the upper end of said through passage when said coupling means is engaged with said connector body, said coupling means comprising remotely controllable, releasable means for locking said coupling means to said connector body, and means whereby one end of a flow line can be attached to said coupling means in communication with said passage means,

the combination of said wellhead body member, said connector body and said interconnecting flow line constituting a rigid assembly capable of being installed as a unit beneath the surface of the body of water,

said coupling means being capable of being lowered, with a flow line attached thereto, into engagement with and locked to said connector body after said assembly has been installed on said wellhead structure.

3. In underwater equipment for completing a well for production, the combination of a rigid wellhead structure comprising at least one upright wellhead body member adapted to be stably mounted beneath the surface of a body of water and capable of suspending pipe in the well;

a Christmas tree assembly including means for locking said Christmas tree assembly to said wellhead structure, and production flow conduit means for communicating with a production string suspended in the well, said flow conduit means having an end exterior to said body member;

an upright connector body having an upwardly opening through passage;

means rigidly interconnecting said wellhead body member and said connector body with said connector body spaced laterally from said Wellhead body member;

an interconnecting flow conduit having one end secured to said connector body in communication with said through passage, the other end of said interconnecting flow conduit being secured to said wellhead body member for connection to said end of said Christmas tree flow conduit means when the Christmas tree is installed;

the combination of said wellhead body member, said connector body and said interconnecting flow line constituting a rigid assembly capable of being installed as a unit beneath the surface of the body of water;

a flow line connector structure having passage means including an exterior end and a lower end, said connector structure being seated on said connector body with said lower end of said passage means communicating with said upwardly opening through passage, said connector body and said connector structure having cooperating remotely operated releasable lock means securing said connector structure to said connector body; and

a flow line for conducting produced fluids to a location remote from the wellhead structure secured to said connector structure in communication with said eX- terior end of said passage means, the combination of said connector structure and said fiow line being recoverable as a unit when said lock means has been released;

whereby produced fluids from the Well flow from the production string, through the product flow conduit means of the Christmas tree, through the interconnecting flow line conduit, and thence through the connector body, connector structure, and production flow line.

4. Underwater well equipment in accordance with claim 3 and further comprising a guide means base secured to said wellhead structure and extending laterally therefrom,

said Wellhead body member being located at the center of said base and said connector body being located at one side of said base,

said flow line connector structure being equipped with a guide structure to cooperate with guide means connected to said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,004,602 10/1961 Kofahl -8 X 3,064,735 11/1962 Bauer et al. 166-.6 3,090,437 5/1963 Geer 166.6 X 3,142,337 7/1964 Poorman et al 166.6 3,163,224 12/1964 Haeber et a1 166.6 3,202,218 8/1965 Watts et al. 166.5 3,219,117 11/1965 Johnstone et al. 166-.5 3,220,447 11/1965 Jones 166-.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 947,979 1/ 1964 Great Britain.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN UNDERWATER WELL INSTALLATION, THE COMBINATION OF A RIGID WELLHEAD STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN UPRIGHT BODY MEMBER; A GUIDE MEANS BASE SECURED TO SAID WELLHEAD STRUCTURE BELOW SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER AND PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM SAID WELLHEAD STRUCTURE, SAID GUIDE MEANS BASE BEING EQUIPPED WITH UPRIGHT GUIDE MEMBERS SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER; A CHRISTMAS TREE ASSEMBLY SUPPORTED ON AND SECURED TO SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, AND SAID CHRISTMAS TREE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PRODUCTION FLOW CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH A PRODUCTION STRING SUSPENDED IN THE WELL AND HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING END PORTION EXTERIOR TO SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER AND FIXEDLY SUPPORTED ON SAID WELLHEAD STRUCTURE; AN UPRIGHT CONNECTOR BODY HAVING A THROUGH PASSAGE; A RIGID LATERAL SUPPORTING STRUCTURE HAVING ONE END FIXED TO SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, SAID CONNECTOR BODY BEING RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; 